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Monday, November 16, 2009

Brutality Crossing the Gender Gap

The recent killings of six women who were tortured before being killed, two in Ciudad Juarez and four in the city of Chihuahua, show that criminals no longer have any respect for the type of gender of the victim when it comes to using the same or even greater sadism as is used against men, according to criminologists, psychologists and lawyers.

On Saturday morning, two students of age 20 were found dead in the "colonia Campesina" of the state capital, both had their heads taped with plastic bags and showed signs of having been tortured.

The autopsy established that the two died of asphyxia, one of the slowest and cruelest deaths in the opinion of forensic pathologists.

They had been missing since last Thursday along with two other friends, who were killed with bullets and dumped in lonely road.

Furthermore, early Friday, two sisters were beaten, dragged, burned and shot in the head in the "fraccionamiento Senderos" of the neighborhhod of San Isidro in Juarez.
"This is more than just violence, obviously there is no law that will stop them, criminals are more sadistic and it shows in the degree of degradation which we see here, which exists when we live outside the rule of law," said criminologist Oscar Máynez.

He said the impunity in which criminals operate when they commit their murderers, is allowing them to break any type the boundaries in their attacks.

"They now even violtate many of the same boundaries that they have traditionally established among themselves, which as a society we should never allow it to take place. The sadism we see is evident how sick these people are when committing such brutal crimes," he added.

He said it's vital that the authorities intervene to stop the killings which are becoming increasingly more brutal and further worsen the situation of violence which plagues the city.

"They have to realize that we are falling into a stage of deepening degeneration. What is the government waiting for in order to act? Do these acts need to be more cruel? These executions have us very concern, but these crimes against young women or even against children cannot continue," he said.

For the psychologist Jessica Camacho, the violent acts which they took the lives of six female victims are a consequence of the impunity with which criminals operate.

"This is why they feel empowered, because they think that nothing is going to happen to them. What we are experiencing is a result of the level of violence that has become accustomed, it seems that nothing surprises them," she said.

The latest attacks against these women will have a huge impact on society. These acts will definitely have a direct "hit" on the general public.

"I can tell you as a woman these events come to me as a big shock, they cause fear in me and I think that it will be the same reaction of the majority of the people. I can't see why this wil not hit us very hard," She added.

She also suggested that one of the ways for the general public is to avoid affecting their mental health, is to resist in all level to live in apathy and secondly, to repudiate this type of crime.

"We as a society should not keep silent, we must continue to feel repulsed by these actions. We must stop to think and feel that this has gone above and beyond but many times we do nothing, we must stop being indifferent," she said.

Meanwhile, Norberto López Garza, president of the State Bar Benito Juárez declared that the cruel murders of six women, also suggest that there has been a deficiency in the education of the population.

"Of course that gives an indication that we have failed in our role as educators, we must resume our work so as not to lose respect for life, but that does not mean that authorities ignore their responsibility," said.

"It is a fact that governments does take care of the problem but allows for the acts to become "so bloody" in the city and around the state. All segments of society must be included in the fight against crime with the direction of the authorities" he added.

He said that the attacks were against women, so they are "even more outrageous," but that the wave of violence that has ended the life of about 4,000 people in 2008 and so far the many more in 2009, is in itself reprehensible.

"The murderers have been very aggressive, I think when they kill is not enough for them to just simply take away a life, but they victimize in ways so horrible, we must finally demand that authorities bring order" he said.

Marisela Saenz, president of the state Bar of Juarez said the criticism directed against the government should also be made against the parents of the murdered women.

"I am very concerned about these acts that lead me to ask: where are the parents of these girls? Some of them under 20 years!" she said.

She also cautioned the heads of the families to take better care for their children, and she said, young people are being too easily scooped by groups of organized crime.

"We must always be vigilant on our children, know who their friends are. We are experiencing very difficult times when we see them fall with offers of cars, money and even drugs, ultimately we are the ones responsible for what happens to our children," she said.

The cases

Two sisters were identified as two teenage girls who were murdered and set on fire last week in the Juárez region as Maria Concepcion Guardado Flores, 15, and Maria Guadalupe Guardado Flores, 14. They said a group of men pulled the sisters out of a party at a house in San Isidro, which is adjacent to Valle de Juárez, east of the Juárez city limits. They were killed in the early hours of Friday and their bodies were found in a vacant property located in the city of Juarez. The house was also set on fire.

The Deputy Attorney General of Justice reported that the females were killed by at least one gunshot to the head and autopsy determined that they were also sexual assaulted as initially suspected because their clothes were still loosely on.

At first glance the women were found to have signs of having been beaten and received several lacerations caused by friction. Both victims were reportedly wrapped in blankets, thrown over a wall from the backyard on to the street, and then dragged on the ground to where they were found.

In the wall of the building, on the sidewalk and the street there were traces of blood. Both girls had left their home at an early age. They were the daughters of femicide murder Jesús Manuel Guardado Márquez alias ¨El Tolteca."

Regarding the cases of the two women executed in Chihuahua City last Thursday at dawn, it was reported that their bodies were located on Avenida La Cantera.

It also announced that they were in company of two other friends, who remained as missing until Saturday morning when they were also found dead and there were also traces of having been tortured.

The two who were killed on Avenida La Cantera were identified as Blanca Yazmín Durán ángeles and Patricia Adriana Urquiza Núñez, both 20 years of age.

After two days of not knowing their whereabouts, on Saturday morning the bodies Sarahí Trujillo Anguiano and Marcy Yuridia Trujillo Estrada were finally found. Both were also 20 years of age.

Both of the girl's bodies were found with their heads taped with plastic bags.